


An English Lesson ft. Bokuto

by snxckpxck



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Puppy Love, Stupidity, moronsexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25044445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snxckpxck/pseuds/snxckpxck
Summary: You’re listening to a podcast about the Sengoku period with one earbud in, barely paying attention to it as it simply served the purpose of background noise. Well, youwerelistening, that is, until you overheard Bokuto ask Kuroo a question.“Hey. What’sgeometry?”-----College AU where you’re an English tutor and Bokuto is your tutee.Alternatively: in the words of the great Cynthia Lee Fontaine,"Come on English lessons!"
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Reader
Comments: 16
Kudos: 130





	An English Lesson ft. Bokuto

**Author's Note:**

> Genre: comedy, fluff, stupidity  
> Rating: T for themes and language  
> Characters: Bokuto Koutaro, Kuroo Tetsurou, brief appearance of Akaashi Keiji and Kozume Kenma, brief appearances by Fukurodani team members (it's just Konoha lmao sorry); listing these here since they're in the story but I don't wanna spam the tags  
> Additional tags: puppy love, gratuitous references to queens from rupaul’s drag race, moronsexuality, himboism, reader is trying her damndest, pure unfiltered unadulterated stupidity, kuroo as the wingman of the century (haha get it? Because NakaYuu is Hawks. Wingman. I’m stupid.)  
> 
> 
> I had a revelation of Kimora Blac quotes as Bokuto and now I can’t stop thinking about it. Please watch these videos for context.  
>  ([come on english lessons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdtS332olPM), [kimora blac for all stars 6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSFrnJ6vd_A))  
> 
> 
> [English Dialogue]  
>  “Japanese Dialogue”  
> 
> 
> Additional notes:  
>  reader is 1-2 yrs older than Bokuto and wears reading glasses; undisclosed major, undisclosed university  
> 
> 
> **DISCLAIMER:** there is a gratuitous amount of quotes from Kimora Blac and other queens from the video linked and I do NOT claim ownership of their words; this is basically parody work incorporated into a fic I thought would be cute. I won’t properly cite this like an MLA essay but I absolutely do not claim ownership of THOSE SPECIFIC quotes ok bye

“What’s an adjective… what _is an adjective_ ,” the boy across you asks.

“You’re [ _athletic_ ], athletic is an adjective,” you answer.

Bokuto looks at you, his gaze a little too distant for your liking. 

“I’m gonna put [ _ace_ ], is that an adjective? _Yeah_ that’s a [ _super_ adjective],” he replies, scribbling the word down in his notes. 

The look on your face is a cross between pity and disdain and you can’t help but wonder how he got through high school. Bokuto’s not the first tutee who didn’t take English seriously as a subject in high school, and probably won’t be the last. But he’s here, sitting with you at your university’s library trying to get through a lower level English class necessary to graduate. 

He’d put it off for too long at this point, and he was glad he found you through the TA. You give him the friend discount since the referral came from a good friend of yours. You didn’t actually charge him much since you always took tutoring as an opportunity to help you with your own studies, but after the first two sessions you realized you might need to up your rate if he was going to continue requiring your services. Maybe a convenience fee of buying you a coffee since you've spent about two hours in the library every day for the past week.

Once, during a break, he was talking about a biology lecture in which he said, “I think a chicken _is_ a dinosaur...”

You can clearly remember saying ‘ _What the fuck?’_ out loud. And after you apologized for letting your shock get the best of you, he continued to explain that dinosaurs actually had feathers and that the chicken is a living relative of dinosaurs. He had learnt it from a friend he made in high school. You could only stare in wonder as he proceeded to talk about said friend, named ‘ _Tsukki_ ’ who had been way too tall to be a first year. 

The time you spend teaching Bokuto actually flies by really quickly, even if it does take a couple of tries to get things down. You would certainly never call anyone an idiot to their face, not unless they’re very good friends or someone you absolutely hate. The duality of man. But sometimes Bokuto was… a handful. Granted, he was always very eager to learn, and was incredibly courteous. It was almost cute, the way he’d perk up when you’d encourage him or give a soft clap if he got things right. Positive reinforcement worked wonders. 

You notice Bokuto slide a piece of paper over, and look up to him.

“I just wanted to let you know that these are the days I’ve got volleyball practice. It's been pretty chill since we just got back from a tournament, but regular practice is gonna start back up soon,” he explains. 

Your eyes gloss over the schedule and realize that the only available times that match up with yours are either really late at night during the week, and on late afternoons during the weekend. 

“Well, the library’s not open that late on weekdays, and it actually gets pretty noisy in here on weekends,” you hum, “do you wanna meet at the cafe two blocks away on Saturdays and Sundays? Say around 4 or 5?”

“That sounds great! Gives me time to shower after practice!” he smiles. 

“Alrighty then. Let’s finish up this last set of questions and then we can call it a day,” you smile back. Somehow, his cheerful energy was infectious. But you wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into when he asks another question.

“What does _ironic_ mean?”

***

Today, before heading to the cafe for your tutoring session, you had stopped by a stationary store and contemplated buying stickers. It was a little _too_ patronizing, so you quickly tabled that thought. He’s a guy that needs help with learning English, not a 4-year old you’re teaching numbers. You’re glad you moved from the library to the cafe. It wasn’t part of a major chain, so it wasn’t super popular. There were only a handful of other university students there, crammed at desks studying for midterms and writing research papers, so it wasn’t too noisy with everyone’s faces in their books and laptops. You find Bokuto already seated by the window, staring at his notes and chewing on the cap of his pen. 

“You know,” you say as you set your stuff down, “if you were that hungry you could have gotten a snack without waiting on me.”

He looks up to you, confused, before remembering the cap in his mouth. It falls out with a stutter and you watch as he scrambles to catch it before it hits the floor. It’s comedic how it bounces in his hands before finally catching the small piece of plastic with a victorious look on his face. 

You give an encouraging clap as he puts his pen down. 

“ _Ah_ , that’s just a nervous habit,” he shrugs, “wasn’t really hungry, kinda stims the brain a little.”

“Like how some professors tell you to chew gum to help you concentrate…”

“Yeah, kinda like that. Anyway, did you want anything? I can cover for it since I’m paying you and everything…”

_Oh bless this boy’s soul_ , you think.

“You don’t have to,” you answer, “but it’s a very kind gesture.”

“ _Nah_ , I insist. You’re following my schedule, too. I mean,” he pouts, “studying on a _weekend_. In _college_. In our _twenties_.”

You laugh at this (missing the way Bokuto’s eyes linger on your smile, and how you laugh with your whole chest and your eyes closed when you’re not trying to stay quiet in a library).

“Just an iced cold brew is fine. I can do the milk and sugar myself.”

“Gotcha. ‘Be right back!” 

_He really is just like a puppy_ , you think to yourself as you watch him basically bound away to the line. You’re setting your things up as he returns, tucking the receipt into the pocket of his sweats. 

Going over Bokuto’s English homework is almost a no-brainer considering he’s taking a class for a professor whose students you’ve tutored before. You leave less (pencil) marks on his assignment than last time, which shows improvement. Which means these tutoring sessions are working. Which only fuels your ego and your desire to help the boy across you get a good grade in the course.

The layout of the cafe tables are different from the library, and rather than the large square tables you were used to, the round tables have you finding yourself sitting closer to him to point out the mistakes on his work. He’s glad that you’re focused on his writing as he absentmindedly nods his head and hums in affirmation, most of what you’re saying going over his head as he stares at how small your hands look compared to his, wondering how soft they might be. 

Bokuto is brought back to reality as a waiter sets you your drinks down in the space left untouched by notes and textbooks. You both look up to nod and thank them, before you scoot your chair back to its original spot so you could take a sip of your drink.

You’ve gotten used to his style of learning and after going over his homework, you pull out a packet of papers (half of which were photocopied from some old workbooks you keep on hand) for him to practice on. You’re a little proud of yourself as he beams, thanking you for the work you’re doing.

“After you finish those, we can work on pronunciation.”

“ _You’re seriously the best!_ ”

The compliment catches you off guard, and you find yourself smiling sheepishly as you rub the back of your neck, completely unaware of the awe in Bokuto’s eyes. It’s then that Bokuto realizes he wants to see you smile more.

***

Today was going to be interesting. One of Bokuto’s friends would be joining your little study sessions. You had told Bokuto you didn’t mind so long as he wouldn’t be a distraction. But hindsight is a gift that you unfortunately don’t have. 

Kuroo is courteous as he introduces himself to you, and the three of you settle in the corner of the cafe without struggle. It’s the start of spring and most students would rather spend time outside having hanami picnics (yourself included, but this was a job. Drinking under trees could wait until after tutoring session hours). Thus, the cafe is pretty empty and there’s plenty of open spaces (near outlets, no less).

Your lesson plan for Bokuto today is pretty easy. You’ve got another set of packets, and since his friend is here, you’ll hold off conversational English for the next time. It’s a fairly relaxing session on a bright and warm afternoon, and you can feel the stress roll off your body as momentum takes hold of you while writing up an essay for a history class.

You’re listening to a podcast about the Sengoku period with one earbud in, barely paying attention to it as it simply served the purpose of background noise. Well, you _were_ listening, that is, until you overheard Bokuto ask Kuroo a question.

“Hey. What’s _geometry_?”

Your eyes widen behind your glasses (necessary now, with how much you stare at your laptop screen these days) and without lifting your head, you tune out everything else to listen to their conversation because _this has to be good_.

Kuroo answers his friend without a beat, “Geometry, _if my memory serves me correctly_ , is the study of shapes and angles. I think it’s a branch of math.”

“ _There’s no such thing as a branch of math,_ ” Bokuto replies, brows furrowed.

“There is… _calculus_...” says Kuroo. He’s got his head propped up, elbow dangerously close to the edge of the table as he stares at his own homework. You can see the faintest of stress lines under his eyes.

Bokuto is dumbfounded, “Oh I don’t even wanna get into that… isn’t that when they use calculators?”

“ _Uh huh_.”

Bokuto runs a hand through his hair as he leans back in his chair. 

And again, without lifting your head or completely tearing your eyes away from the screen, you notice out of the corner of your eye, a sliver of skin peeking out from under Bokuto’s shirt as he stretches in his seat. You quickly distract yourself by changing your focus to your once hot latte, now at a stale room temperature, chugging the drink in one go. 

Taking this chance as a momentary distraction from your school work, you set the mug back down and notice the other cups at the table were also empty.

“I’ll go return these,” you say, hoping to clear your head with the brief walk back to the counter. 

“ _Nah_ ,” Bokuto replies, “I’ll get it. I need to walk around to get the blood flow back into my head.”

He looks at Kuroo with a cheesy grin, "You know, _the body's blood–flow smoothly and circulate oxygen so the brain functions normally._ "

Kuroo replies with a similar smile while flipping him off. 

You clear your throat after Bokuto’s walked away, turning your attention to Kuroo, “You’re literally doing chemistry homework. That’s _all_ math. Why’d you answer his question about geometry like that?”

“ _Oya?_ So you overheard our enlightening conversation?” Kuroo answers with a devious grin.

You gesture to the empty seat next to him, “I mean… it’s hard not to, considering…”

Kuroo chuckles and shrugs his shoulders, “It’s just easier that way. Less questions… (usually). Regardless of his academic placement, he’s _not an imbecile_.”

It’s sweet how he defends his friend. But what’s sweeter is the fact that it’s true.

“ _Yeah_ , that’s true. I dunno, there have been times where he’s surprised me and I felt like I learned more from him than he from me,” you smile, your eyes downcast as you lightly tap at the keys of your computer, “he’s got a sort of wisdom that most people don’t have.” 

You don’t tap hard enough to actually type something out, but it _is_ enough to tell Kuroo that you’re a little more than just amused at the quirks of his good friend. Something inside Kuroo’s head clicks as Bokuto returns with a plate of cookies and your eyes shine a little brighter when you look up. 

*

“Let’s go out for drinks,” Kuroo says casually, as if he hadn’t spent nearly three hours trying to shove knowledge into his brain, knowing damn well that alcohol would undo all of that within the first drink. 

“I’m not ready to just go home. Especially since I know more work is waiting for me there,” he drawls. 

Bokuto responds to the declaration with a cheerful “ _Sure_!” 

You’re zipping your bag up as the others shrug their coats on. There’s still some light out, but it’s well past 6 o’clock and the soft red light coming off the lanterns of the izakayas down the street are visible.

“ _Aah_ , have fun,” you sigh, “I can’t wait to stare at this empty word document until 2AM.”

“Wait,” Bokuto tilts his head, “you’re not joining us?” 

“I mean,” you answer, “I thought you guys were gonna go drink and bond? Since you’re like, good friends and stuff? Isn’t that why Kuroo’s here? I don't wanna be a third wheel.”

Your third wheel comment earns a chuckle from Kuroo.

“ _Of course_ you’re invited,” he grins, “you deserve a good drink the most, considering you’ve got your hands full with school _and_ making sure this airhead passes _basic English_.” 

You watch as Bokuto playfully jabs at Kuroo’s arm, “ _Hey man!_ It’s just one class I need help with!”

“Yeah, because I helped you with your math _last term_ ,” Kuroo smirks.

Confusion takes hold of you as you’re basically whisked towards the direction of a local bar, but it’s too late to protest now. 

***

Bokuto silently thanks the gods (in this case, the gods being Kuroo) as you take the seat next to him. Some of the other places were too crowded, but this izakaya was a little ways away, tucked into a slightly quieter alley. And luck was on Bokuto’s side too when there was an empty room and you didn’t have to share the space with the loud salarymen complaining about overtime at the bar. He gives Kuroo a quick glance, making eye contact as a form of ‘ _thanks_ ’ for dumping his and Bokuto’s coats onto the cushion beside him, taking up that seat. 

You set your stuff in the corner, folding your coat neatly before tucking your feet under your legs as you hunch over the table to read the menu.

“Oh man,” you start, “it’s been too long since I’ve actually gone out. Most nights it’s been picking up junk from Family Mart before passing out on the couch before 10. I feel like an old man.”

“ _Nah_ ,” Bokuto laughs, “old men aren’t nearly as fun as you!”

“Clearly, you’ve never been to a staff party hosted by the English department,” you reply, “also, _fun_?”

“ _Yeah!_ You make learning English fun. Usually it’s super boring or I can’t quite keep up with the class… _especially_ with pronunciations. But your lessons aren’t like that at all. You do a really good job and I really enjoy them.”

Suddenly you feel hot, and you can feel a blush crawling up your neck as you try to hide it with the menu, “ _Uhm_ , thanks. I’d _uh_ sure hope I do a good job otherwise I’d be out of business.”

You try to hide the embarrassment with a sarcastic laugh and hope that he buys it. He does. Kuroo does not. And you would see that if you weren’t so focused on distracting yourself from the compliment by figuring out what to eat as Kuroo gives Bokuto a discreet thumbs up. 

*

Your whole body feels warm as you bring your glass up to your lips. The food was excellent, and you make a mental note of coming back here just for the pork belly itself. 

“Literature? I think I did that in school!” Bokuto exclaims with a little too much enthusiasm.

You nod your head at him, “I hope you have.”

“That _is_ something _I do remember_ ,” he says with conviction, “It’s when you open a book.”

You’re a little bleary eyed, but you stare at him incredulously, “Wait, _what?_ ”

“Yeah, _that’s when you open a book!_ ”

“ _Okay well!_ ” you laugh as you take a much larger gulp of your drink.

Though it’s not as easy to tell the difference between the alcohol flush and an actual blush, Kuroo is cackling, holding his stomach as he watches your banter, because boy _you had it bad for Bokuto._ Even though Bokuto’s the one who texted Kuroo to ask him to wingman today, Bokuto was doing a stellar job of wooing you without his help. 

You excuse yourself to go to the bathroom, and you’re a little off balance as you struggle to get up. Your foot catches on the cushion and you find yourself tumbling into Bokuto’s lap as he catches you. 

Your hair is a mess and it takes you a second to blow it out of your face, only to make eye contact with the man who caught you. The moment is tender, if not awkward, but a stupid grin makes its way onto your face, “ _Uh oh,_ looks like [ _I'm falling for you!_ ]”

The English rolls off your tongue fluidly and even though Bokuto’s far from fluent, he understood every single word. The comment catches Bokuto off guard and he blushes like mad as you cackle, struggling to sit up (and stand up) properly. You wave at the two as you fumble with your shoes before making your way to the restroom.

The room is quiet, even though the ambient noise of the rest of the izakaya is still fairly audible, and Kuroo breaks the silence.

“ _Okay_ well first off, we’re gonna order some water. And then _you_ are gonna walk her home later and if you don’t do it tonight, tomorrow you are _asking her out_.”

Bokuto’s brought back to reality by Kuroo’s words, but he tugs at his hair in frustration instead, “What! No way! You saw how she laughed. There’s no way she actually likes me back!”

“That’s the dumbest thing you’ve said today, you know?” Kuroo deadpans, acutely aware of their conversation about math earlier in the day. 

“ _Augh!_ Fine!” Bokuto whines, “but if this doesn’t work out and I can never look her in the eye again, I’m making _you_ tutor me!”

Kuroo simply shrugs as he tosses back the rest of his beer before calling the waitress for a round of water and some more food. 

*

The atmosphere is lively when you return from the restroom, and your eyes zoom in on the plate of karaage in the middle of the table. You don’t even notice Bokuto and Kuroo looking at each other as you hastily grab a piece of chicken. It’s still hot and it warms up your whole body as you sink into your hoodie. There’s a glass of water placed in front of you and you take it without hesitation.

“ _Ugh_ , I needed this,” you sigh, tucking your glasses away as you rub the bridge of your nose. 

“So did Bokuto,” Kuroo smiles. You can’t see Bokuto kick Kuroo under the table as you tilt your head to ask ‘why’.

“Oh just, volleyball,” Bokuto fibs, “we’ve got a practice match against my old high school coming up and I don’t want to disappoint my old coach.”

“You should come watch,” Kuroo adds nonchalantly before turning to you, “you might get to see him in his ‘emo-mode’.”

Bokuto kicks Kuroo under the table again, but this time you notice it and give Bokuto a look, “‘ _Emo-mode_ ’?”

You turn your whole body towards him as he explains how sometimes (Kuroo scoffs at this, ' _more like once a match_ ’) he goes into what people like to call his ‘emo mode’ when he finds himself in a rut during a game. 

“It’s not a rut, it’s more like a pit of despair,” Kuroo adds, “poor Akaashi, always had to find some sort of way to cheer up the _horned owl bastard_.”

You nearly choke on your spit at the nickname, “ _Horned owl bastard??_ ”

Bokuto sticks his tongue out at Kuroo before running his fingers through his hair, “This damn _rooster head_ called me that a lot in high school because my hair reminded him--” 

Kuroo interjects, “-everyone-” 

“ _'ch_ , reminded ‘ _everyone_ ’ of a horned owl."

“Also it’s the kanji of his name,” Kuroo adds. 

Bokuto swats at Kuroo while the other man chuckles, but he stills when he realizes you’re staring at him. You try to focus your eyes on his hair, picturing the animal in your mind. You only stop staring to look up an image of the offending animal on your phone, and you hold it up to compare it to his face.

The man fidgets under your gaze as he averts his eyes to stare anywhere else but your concentrated face: it was cute the way your nose crinkled when your brows furrowed, and how your lips formed a cute pout. He could feel himself blushing and quickly put that to an end by polishing off his beer.

_And then you burped._

_Loudly._

Mortified, you nearly dropped your phone as you covered your mouth with a napkin, apologizing. But both Bokuto and Kuroo broke out into laughter, and you found yourself joining them. 

“ _Okay, okay_ ,” you chuckle, “but I do see it. A [great horned owl].” 

“Thank you for appreciating the comparison,” says Kuroo as he gestures towards his friend.

“But _back to the emo-mode_ thing,” you add.

Bokuto cries out, “And here I thought we were past that!!”

“Nope!” “Never will be” You and Kuroo chorus as Bokuto lets out a whine.

*

It’s not as late as it could be by the time the three of you stumble out of the izakaya. You and Bokuto were still talking about the difference between astrology and astronomy (both completely different sounding words in Japanese, but incredibly similar sounding in English) before realizing Kuroo was still a few steps behind, standing outside the door of the restaurant with his phone in his hand. He puts his phone back before turning to Bokuto, “ _Ah_ , I gotta drop by Kenma’s to pick something up. I’ll see you around, yeah?”

You either don’t notice or can’t see Bokuto blushing as he nods towards his friend. And after bidding Kuroo ‘goodbye’, you realize it’s just the two of you walking under the cherry blossom trees. There’s still plenty of people out, having night time _hanami_ picnics along the riverbank as you walk towards your block. The air is cool and refreshing and you can feel sobriety return to your body. 

It’s a lot quieter without the master of provocation (as quoted by Bokuto) there to initiate some sort of banter based on Bokuto’s past, but it’s only when Bokuto offers to carry your bag that you realize how intimate the moment really is. 

You politely decline, he insists, and next thing you know you’re both crouching as you gather up all the stuff that fell out of _his_ bag that somehow went lopsided when he tried to put your bag over his shoulder. 

He can’t help but whine as you laugh at how silly he is, but he isn’t going to deny the fact that your laughter makes his heart flutter. You find a bench for the two of you to set your stuff down as he fixes his things, and you take the opportunity to get something off of your chest.

“ _Uhm_ , Bokuto-san…” 

“Just Bokuto is fine!”

“Bokuto…” you begin, “I was thinking…”

He looks up to you as he latches the buckles (properly this time) on his bag.

You’re a little quieter than you were earlier, fidgeting with the ends of your sleeves, “You don’t have to pay me to tutor you anymore...”

Bokuto looks at you in confusion, “ _Wha--_ is this because Kuroo was being an annoying bastard? Is it because I don’t know what geometry is? Is it because I’m dumb?”

“No! Oh no, no, it’s not that,” you assert, “and you’re _not_ dumb, Bokuto.”

( _“Well, maybe a little but that’s not a bad thing,” you reassure_ )

“I was just thinking… I could do it for...free…” 

“ _Huh?_ ”

You’re biting your lip as you struggle to find the right words, “Well, you see, I only sorta charge people if I don’t really know them, or if they’re not friends. And I actually charge people a lot more, especially if I don’t like them...”

Bokuto’s eyes nearly pop out of his head when you finish your reply.

“I know we've only known each other for a few weeks, but I think you're pretty cool and I’d feel bad charging you for a service I’d happily give for free. Does that sound weird? I definitely said that weird. _Come thru_ , articulation. I tutor English but I can’t even speak Japanese.” 

You immediately turn around and put your hands in your face, taking a deep breath before turning back to face Bokuto standing in complete silence. You bow your head, “Okay. I made it weird. Night over, sorry! Don’t worry about paying me for the day okay bye!”

You make the move to grab your bag but Bokuto grabs it for you.

He’s beet red and you’re both standing in an awkward silence as he opens and closes his mouth in an attempt to respond to you without looking even more like a fool.

You're surprised when he suddenly declares, “Do you wanna hang out tomorrow? After studying? ( _Without Kuroo?_ )”

He’s pensive as he waits on an answer, but beams when you nod dumbfoundedly.

***

Sunday goes off without a hitch, and it’s all conversational English, so there’s no room for awkward pauses or silence. Bokuto’s practice match is on Wednesday, and you give him a confirmation that you’ll be able to make it, which smoothes out that part of the conversation.

Hanging out after studying consists of sitting in the same cafe for a few more hours, books and notes tucked away as you talk about anything and everything. Bokuto indulges you in stories from high school, and in return you tell him your adventures (horror stories) in tutoring. 

You’re exasperated as you finish your story, “And I told the guy, there was no way in hell that I’ll write his essay for him.”

“Even with the 5000 yen offer?” Bokuto asks.

“Yeah! All the professors AND TA’s know who I am, that would have put my whole academic career at risk,” you answer. 

“So what’d he do?”

“He took the notes I gave him, stormed off to _who knows where_ , and then get this, three weeks later I got a note from the TA of his class that was written by him, apologizing for his behavior and giving me a cash tip of 2000 yen. Apparently his girlfriend lectured the hell out of him and he ended up studying harder.”

“That’s amazing,” Bokuto says in awe.

“It sure would be, if it were true!” you grin.

Bokuto’s face blanches, “What!”

“Sorry, Bokuto. That was a short story I had to make up for a literature class,” you laugh, “I thought you might enjoy it. And that it might give you ideas to recommend me as a tutor to your friends. I gotta make cash on the side now that I’m not charging you.”

You take this moment to go and grab some cups of water, missing Bokuto’s face as his train of thought follows the idea of you tutoring someone else and them asking you out and you no longer having the time to spend with him and--

It’s interrupted with a message from Akaashi saying that the other Fukurodani alumni were coming to see the practice match to catch up for a little bit. He responds with a cartoon sticker that Kuroo had downloaded to his LINE account, looking up from his phone as you sit back down with two water cups, rambling about how the chocolate chip cookies here were great and how the chocolate chip _technically_ came after the cookie.

He breaks your momentum by asking, “What’s a chocolate chip?”

“Wait, _what?_ ”

***

It takes you a while to get to Fukurodani’s gym from your university’s campus. The gym isn’t hard to find since there were still kids hanging around to point you in the direction of it. By the time you get there, the match is halfway through the first set. It’s not hard at all to spot Bokuto making a spectacle of himself. You hadn’t seen him outside of casual wear and tutoring sessions, but seeing him on the court, it’s almost like he belongs there. 

You make your way upstairs to the stands to find a rather loud group of people already cheering loudly. You spot Kuroo sitting next to two other guys and make your way towards him as he waves to you. They’re sitting right by the rails, and you can see the court perfectly. 

The two next to Kuroo introduce themselves to you as Kenma and Akaashi, both of whom are incredibly polite. This time, you remembered to bring your business cards and hand them over properly. 

“Did I miss anything good?” you ask as you put your stuff in the seat beside you. 

“Nah, not really,” Kuroo answers, “but there _is_ a blocker on the team that’s been catching up to Bokuto’s cross-shots.”

“Is that going to put him in uh,” you ask, “‘ _emo-mode’?_ ” 

Akaashi raises an eyebrow at how you already know about Bokuto’s behavioral pattern, but chalks it up to Kuroo being the one who told you about it.

“He’s gotten a _lot_ better than how he was in high school,” Akaashi answers, “but he’s still pretty unpredictable.”

There’s a loud ‘ _boom_ ’ followed by an even louder ‘ _Hey hey hey!_ ’ that interrupts your conversation. You can feel the exhilaration radiating off of Bokuto as he lands a spike. The cheer is returned from the loud group of people (explained as the rest of Bokuto’s old team), and Bokuto’s attention is turned to the stands. He spots you and nearly jumps as he waves, and you give an equally enthusiastic wave back. 

Unbeknownst to you, Kuroo is grinning, Kenma is rolling his eyes at Kuroo, and Akaashi is doing his best to make sure his former teammates don’t do anything stupid as they notice your presence.

*

Your university’s team wins, of course, but not without a fight. It’s only a practice match, so the game is over after three sets. You’re introduced to the rest of Bokuto’s friends as the teams are in the locker rooms, and the conversations are pretty normal. You’ve brought enough business cards for everyone, and you’re a little more than cheerful at the idea of expanding your business. The others take turns telling embarrassing stories about Bokuto as you all stand outside the gym, and you can’t help but laugh at every single one of them. 

Konoha’s the first to notice Bokuto as he’s jogging up the group and with an unseen look between him and Kuroo, he calls out, “What’s the 2-letter periodic symbol for gold?”

Bokuto’s out of breath as he answers, “Yellow.”

“It’s two letters.”

“ _Oh my god_ ,” you cover your mouth to hide an ugly snicker, trying so hard not to laugh. Bokuto, apparently used to this sort of treatment from his friends, huffs. 

“You guys suck,” he says with a pout, grabbing your hand to drag you towards the campus entrance. You respond with a yelp, sending an apologetic wave as you’re once again, whisked away.

Bokuto doesn’t realize he’s holding your hand until you’re a block away from the school, and he drops it, blushing furiously, especially after noticing just how soft your hand actually was.

“Sorry you had to deal with _them_ ,” he grumbles.

You reply with a giggle, “It’s not that bad. My friends do that to me, too.”

Bokuto responds with an ‘ _ooh_ ’, but he’s adamant in making sure you know how smart he thinks you are, “What! But you’re so smart! You know like, everything!”

“I appreciate the compliment,” you smile, “but I’m not actually _that_ smart. I’m just fluent in English because I watch a lot of American and British TV shows.”

“I still think you’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met,” he responds. 

With the height he has on you, you’re not sure if he can see how red your face is, and you respond with a light nudge to his arm. And then you’re thinking about how firm his muscles are and you’re brought back to a millisecond when Bokuto was on the court and how his thighs looked with those long knee pads that no one else was wearing.

Changing the subject and hoping to get your mind off of how built he is, you say, “I’m glad I came out though. Your friends are funny.”

Bokuto is back to pouting when he thinks about how much you were laughing and how he missed it (and how he wasn’t the one to make you laugh), and he crosses his arms. 

“Yeah they’re all right,” he pauses, “did you enjoy the match?”

You ponder for a moment, holding your finger up to your mouth as you figure out a proper response, “It was fun. I don’t usually watch sports but it was pretty easy to follow along. You were pretty great on the court, though. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sports match where both sides end up cheering for the same person.”

Trying not to let your answer go to his ego, he plays it off, “Yeah. I was pretty great, huh. That’s why I’m the _ace_.”

“It was pretty inspiring, to be honest. Definitely changes your perspective when you’re watching a match in real life rather than just stumbling upon it while flipping through TV channels,” you hum. 

You take Bokuto by surprise when you turn to face him, “Do you mind teaching me more about volleyball? I don’t think I’d ever really get into it enough to play, but I always find it fun to learn about new things, especially from people who are super passionate about it.”

It feels as if an arrow is shot straight through Bokuto’s heart when you ask your question, and he can’t help but fumble his words when he answers you with more than enough enthusiasm as he grabs your hand, nodding. 

The moment of course is dutifully interrupted by the loud cheers from the group that had caught up with you, Kuroo being the _best wingman ever_ as he yells out ‘ _Get a room!_ ’ before Kenma jabs him in the side. 

***

The streets are quiet at this time of night as Bokuto walks you to the train station after an eventful dinner at the family restaurant by his old high school, and while the teasing died down by only just a little bit, he’s more than grateful that his friends are out of his hair. And after bidding you farewell and a safe trip home, he stopped by a _konbini_. He stares absentmindedly at juice, thinking about how the night went. 

You were more than able to keep up with his friends’ banter, even with the asinine trivia questions Kuroo and Konoha would ask. 

_“What does the ‘C’ stand for in the equation: e=MC^2?” Kuroo had asked with Konoha listing the following multiple choice answers: a) change, b) speed of light, c) control, d) descent._

_Physics was absolutely not your strong suit and you were honest about that when you answered, “I think it’s ‘change’…”_

_“...Cat,” Bokuto had answered._

_“I don’t think that was an option, Bokuto.”_

_“You just have to make it up sometimes,” he shrugged._

_“Okay.”_

A tap on the shoulder brings him out of his thoughts, and he’s not surprised to see Akaashi holding up the sports drink he normally carries to school. 

“ _Akaashi_ , what do I do???” he whines, taking the drink as they walk to the register.

“Kuroo-san told me to tell you to just ask her out. In his words, ‘ _like a normal person_ ’,” his friend replies. 

“But! She’s so smart and cute! And I’m so dumb,” Bokuto frowns. 

Akaashi pats Bokuto on the back reassuringly, “Don’t sell yourself short, Bokuto-san. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have shown up to a random high school for someone she didn’t have a high opinion of.”

“Thanks, Akaashi, I don’t know where I’d be without you,” Bokuto cries out. 

Akaashi holds back a biting answer as they walk back to their neighborhood, bringing up the highlights of the practice match instead.

***

The weekend comes pretty quickly, and Bokuto looks more exhausted than usual. It’s midterm season and even though he’s confident in most of his classes, the stress and anxiety of tests (on top of how grueling practices are starting to get) eat at him. You notice this immediately when he shows up a little later than usual, having messaged you that practice ran a little late. It wasn’t a big deal and you used the time to study for your own classes. The lesson goes by fairly quick, and you’re a little more empathetic as you reassure him that he was going to do great.

Bokuto can feel his heart thump through his rib cage when you smile at him.

“You’re going to [ace] this test because you’re the _ace_ , after all!”

*

The library is packed with students cramming and tutoring sessions are back at the library during the school week and shortened to an hour per day instead. You can’t help but feel sad about missing your weekend study-session-turned-hangouts, but seeing Bokuto almost every day as he drops by the corner of the library you’ve basically claimed to yourself isn’t half bad. 

This sort of thing just comes with the territory of being in university. You see people all the time for the first few weeks and then exams start up and you’re lucky if you get to see anyone at least once a week. So you really lucked out when Bokuto gave you his updated schedule and how practices started later during the week, so he could make it to the library when you were still on campus.

(You’re candidly unaware of how seeing you before he goes to volleyball practice boosts his spirit and his confidence and improves his performance. He’s unaware of how your brain stops focusing on your work after tutoring him and how you end up going home right after because you can’t think about anything besides the things he’d say that make you laugh.)

The two of you elect to meet on Sunday (Saturday was a day of rest and you slept in until 3) for lunch at a fast food joint. Bokuto’s reasoning being that he was craving ‘cheat day’ food, and you didn’t mind the change up at all. You’re in a more casual outfit because of how much warmer the weather has gotten, and Bokuto’s smitten as you wave at him when you approach him outside the restaurant. 

You’re eager to know how he did in his class, and he gives you an incredibly reassuring thumbs up as he tells you how confident he is in his score.

“That’s great!” you cheer, “see? I knew you could do it!”

“I really have you to thank,” he beams, “I’m really lucky to have been able to find someone like you!”

The way you blush only encourages the compliments Bokuto keeps laying down. He’s rambling now, talking about nonsensical things like how he started watching videos you’d sent him to help him practice his English off-hours.

“I think you’re really fun and cool and hanging out with you is really fun even when you’re not trying to teach me how to explain directions in English to foreigners and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come to the game we have next weekend?”

He’s fumbling with his hands and his facial expressions give away just how hard he was trying to formulate a proper sentence without sounding like a complete idiot, “And maybe not just games but maybe more? As much as I appreciate your help and all, I want to see you without having to think about school or volleyball. And without Kuroo or Konoha there to be annoying jerks.”

There’s a light that goes off in your head and your smile is brighter than the sun when you grab his hand, “I’d love to go out with you. So long as our first date isn’t over fast food french fries.”

* **Omake** *

“What does _ironic_ mean again?”

The question catches you off guard as the two of you sit on the floor of your apartment. 

“It means like _uh_ , there’s satire behind it--” you start, trying to remember how you explained it to him last time. The look on your face is a cross between (endearing) pity and fascination as you once again wonder how Bokuto got through high school. 

Bokuto only looks even more confused, “What’s a ‘satire’?” 

“I knew you weren’t gonna know that either. _Uh oh_. _I don’t know_. I can’t. I can’t explain it,” you answer as you try to figure out how to explain to your _boyfriend_ the literature homework he came to you for help with. 

“It’s okay babe, you’re still the smartest person I know,” he smiles as he crawls over to hold you. You can only smile as he wraps himself around you, peering over your shoulders to look at the packet materials you’re working on. It’s a new term and you’ve got a whole new batch of tutees, but Bokuto’s still your number one student.

“ _What the hell is a preposition_?”

* **END** *

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be a short oneshot while trying to finish up my kuroo fic (see alt pseud) [and i oop](https://youtu.be/PUttqdr38t4?t=16)\--
> 
> anyway if i had to cast haikyuu charas as drag queens in [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSFrnJ6vd_A) video: 
> 
> Bokuto as Kimora  
>  Kuroo as Mariah Balenciaga  
>  Oikawa as Gia Gunn  
>  Atsumu as Jasmine Masters  
>  Konoha as Derrick Barry  
>  Yaku as Ongina  
>  Hinata as Jaidynn Diore Fierce


End file.
